As it’s been a while since you were diagnosed, it sounds like it might be helpful to get a new CT done to see if the ligament has calcified more or if your styloids have grown longer- this can happen with time, especially if you’ve had a neck trauma since your last imaging… If you are able to get a new scan, ask for it to cover your neck from the skull base to the hyoid bone, as some of your symptoms like the clicking can be from ES but also could be if the hyoid bone processes have grown longer too… It’s a good idea to check this before you decide about surgery as if the hyoid bone is causing issues that would need a doctor who specialises in this.
The surgery is often done as an outpatient but under a general, if you react to meds you would need to talk to your doctor about this. We’ve had some discussions about reactions to medications, so hopefully others will chip in with their experiences… Have you considered MCAS? Quite a few members have this, it could be that the vagus nerve is irritated from ES (which could be causing your cough), & this can affect histamine & allergies…
This discussion might be helpful:
Pain Meds Post Op with MCAS - Symptoms and Treatments - Living with Eagle
Success rates for surgery are good as long as you see a doctor with experience, and enough of the styloid process is removed- there’s info about surgery here:
ES Information- Treatment: Surgery - Welcome / Newbies Guide to Eagle Syndrome - Living with Eagle
And here’s a link to the list of doctors familiar with ES:
Doctor Lists – no discussion - Symptoms and Treatments / Doctor Information - Living with Eagle
You can search for doctors’ names in the past discussions to see when members have seen them, I don’t know much about the doctors on the list in VA, otherwise Dr Hackman in NC is very experienced with the surgery.
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